Physics beyond the Standard Model predicts the possible existence of new particles that can be searched at the low energy frontier in the sub-eV range. The OSQAR photon regeneration experiment looks ...for "Light Shining through a Wall" from the quantum oscillation of optical photons into "Weakly Interacting Sub-eV Particles", such as axion or Axion-Like Particles (ALPs), in a 9 T transverse magnetic field over the unprecedented length of 2 × 14.3 m. In 2014, this experiment has been run with an outstanding sensitivity, using an 18.5 W continuous wave laser emitting in the green at the single wavelength of 532 nm. No regenerated photons have been detected after the wall, pushing the limits for the existence of axions and ALPs down to an unprecedented level for such a type of laboratory experiment. The di-photon couplings of possible pseudoscalar and scalar ALPs can be constrained in the nearly massless limit to be less than 3.5·10 −8 GeV −1 and 3.2·10 −8 GeV −1 , respectively, at 95% Confidence Level.
Recent theoretical and experimental studies highlight the possibility of new fundamental particle physics beyond the Standard Model that can be probed by sub-eV energy experiments. The OSQAR photon ...regeneration experiment looks for “Light Shining through a Wall” from the quantum oscillation of optical photons into “Weakly Interacting Sub-eV Particles”, like axion or axion-like particles (ALPs), in a 9 T transverse magnetic field over the unprecedented length of
2
×
14.3
m. No excess of events has been detected over the background. The di-photon couplings of possible new light scalar and pseudo-scalar particles can be constrained in the massless limit to be less than
8.0
×
10
-
8
GeV
-
1
. These results are very close to the most stringent laboratory constraints obtained for the coupling of ALPs to two photons. Plans for further improving the sensitivity of the OSQAR experiment are presented.
Axion search by laser-based experiment OSQAR Sulc, M.; Pugnat, P.; Ballou, R. ...
Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section A, Accelerators, spectrometers, detectors and associated equipment,
08/2013, Volume:
718
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
Laser-based experiment OSQAR in CERN is aimed to the search of the axions by two methods. The photon regeneration experiment is using two LHC dipole magnets of the length 14.3m and magnetic field ...9.5T equipped with an optical barrier at the end of the first magnet. It looks as light shining through the wall. No excess of events above the background was detected at this arrangement. Nevertheless, this result extends the exclusion region for the axion mass. The second method wants to measure the ultra-fine vacuum magnetic birefringence for the first time. An optical scheme with electro-optical modulator has been proposed, validated and subsequently improved. Cotton–Mouton constant for air was determined in this experiment setup.
Spectrodirectional measurement combined with measurement of radiation distribution function enable to study illumination characteristics of different light sources. The experiments are realized with ...a goniometer. In this paper we present design of such an optical instrument for measurement of radiation and spectral characteristics of various visible light sources. The instrument enables to measure various tasks from the field of technical radiometry to photobiology. The measurement technique combines simultaneous measurement of spectral data with information of overall radiation characteristics of different light sources. Design of the instrument is compact, robust and its kinematic principle is based on Cardan joint. The device was designed for laboratory measurement and educational purposes. The measurement process is fully automated or enables semi-automated control. This instrument finds its use in research projects focusing on study of bioluminescence and surface textures and is utilized for measurement of radiation and spectral distribution functions.
Physics beyond the Standard Model predicts the possible existence of new particles that can be searched at the low energy frontier in the sub-eV range. The OSQAR photon regeneration experiment looks ...for "Light Shining through a Wall" from the quantum oscillation of optical photons into "Weakly Interacting Sub-eV Particles", such as axion or Axion-Like Particles (ALPs), in a 9 T transverse magnetic field over the unprecedented length of \(2 \times 14.3\) m. In 2014, this experiment has been run with an outstanding sensitivity, using an 18.5 W continuous wave laser emitting in the green at the single wavelength of 532 nm. No regenerated photons have been detected after the wall, pushing the limits for the existence of axions and ALPs down to an unprecedented level for such a type of laboratory experiment. The di-photon couplings of possible pseudo-scalar and scalar ALPs can be constrained in the nearly massless limit to be less than \(3.5\cdot 10^{-8}\) GeV\(^{-1}\) and \(3.2\cdot 10^{-8}\) GeV\(^{-1}\), respectively, at 95% Confidence Level.
Recent theoretical and experimental studies highlight the possibility of new fundamental particle physics beyond the Standard Model that can be probed by sub-eV energy experiments. The OSQAR photon ...regeneration experiment looks for "Light Shining through a Wall" (LSW) from the quantum oscillation of optical photons into "Weakly Interacting Sub-eV Particles" (WISPs), like axion or axion-like particles (ALPs), in a 9 T transverse magnetic field over the unprecedented length of \(2 \times 14.3\) m. No excess of events has been detected over the background. The di-photon couplings of possible new light scalar and pseudo-scalar particles can be constrained in the massless limit to be less than \(8.0\times10^{-8}\) GeV\(^{-1}\). These results are very close to the most stringent laboratory constraints obtained for the coupling of ALPs to two photons. Plans for further improving the sensitivity of the OSQAR experiment are presented.
The OSQAR photon regeneration experiment searches for pseudoscalar and scalar axion-like particles by the method of "Light Shining Through a Wall", based on the assumption that these weakly ...interacting sub-eV particles couple to two photons to give rise to quantum oscillations with optical photons in strong magnetic field. No excess of events has been observed, which constrains the di-photon coupling strength of both pseudoscalar and scalar particles down to \(5.7 \cdot 10^{-8}\) GeV\(^{-1}\) in the massless limit. This result is the most stringent constraint on the di-photon coupling strength ever achieved in laboratory experiments.
•Prenatal methamphetamine exposure does not have any effect on the learning ability of female and male adult rats.•Amphetamine treatment in adulthood affects the cognitive functions of adult rats in ...a sex-specific manner.•Females are more sensitive to the effect of psychostimulants than males.•Prenatal MA treatment does not have any sensitizing effect on the AMP application in adulthood.•Prenatal MA-exposure and adult AMP-treatment increased the speed of swimming in female rats.
Psychostimulants have been shown to affect brain regions involved in the process of learning and memory consolidation. It has been shown that females are more sensitive to the effects of drugs than males. The aim of our study was to investigate how prenatal methamphetamine (MA) exposure and application of amphetamine (AMP) in adulthood would affect spatial learning of adult female and male rats. Mothers of the tested offspring were exposed to injections of MA (5mg/kg) or saline (SA) throughout the entire gestation period. Cognitive functions of adult rats were evaluated in the Morris Water Maze (MWM) tests. Adult offspring were injected daily with AMP (5mg/kg) or SA through the period of MWM testing. Our data from the MWM tests demonstrates the following. Prenatal MA exposure did not change the learning ability of adult male and female rats. However, AMP administration to adult animals affected cognitive function in terms of exacerbation of spatial learning (increasing the latency to reach the hidden platform, the distance traveled and the search error) only in female subjects. There were sex differences in the speed of swimming. Prenatal MA exposure and adult AMP treatment increased the speed of swimming in female groups greater than in males. Overall, the male subjects showed a better learning ability than females. Thus, our results indicate that the adult AMP treatment affects the cognitive function and behavior of rats in a sex-specific manner, regardless of prenatal exposure.
•MA, AMP, and COC treatment induced anxiolytic effect in female rats.•MDMA and THC treatment induced anxiogenic effect in female rats.•MOR treatment increased anxiety of female and male rats.•In ...female rats, overall activity increased after MA, AMP, and COC.•Prenatal MA exposure did not sensitize rats to the effect of any of the drugs.
Different forms of anxiety-related behavior have been reported after a single drug use of many abused substances, however, less is known about how males and females are affected differently from exposure to various drugs. Furthermore, chronic prenatal methamphetamine (MA) exposure was shown to predispose the animal to an increased sensitivity to drugs administrated in adulthood. Using the Elevated plus-maze test (EPM), the first aim of the present study was to examine how male and female rats are affected by acute drug treatment with subcutaneously (s.c.) administrated (a) MA (1mg/kg); (b) drugs with a similar mechanism of action to MA: amphetamine (AMP, 1mg/kg), cocaine (COC, 5mg/kg), 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, 5mg/kg); and (c) drugs with different mechanisms of action: morphine (MOR, 5mg/kg), and Δ 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, 2mg/kg). The second aim was to determine if prenatally MA-exposed (5mg/kg) animals show an increased sensitivity to adult drug treatment. The parameters analyzed were divided into two categories: anxiety-related behavior and anxiety-unrelated/exploratory behavior. Our results showed in female rats a decreased percentage of the time spent in the closed arms (CA) after MA, and an increased percentage of the time spent in the open arms (OA) after MA, AMP, and COC treatment, indicating an anxiolytic-like effect. In females, MDMA and THC treatment increased the percentage of the time spent in the CA. An increased percentage of the time spent in the CA was also seen after MOR treatment in females as well as in males, indicating an anxiogenic-like effect. As far as the interaction between prenatal MA exposure and adult drug treatment is concerned, there was no effect found. In conclusion, it seems that: (a) in some cases female rats are more vulnerable to acute drug treatment, in terms of either anxiogenic- or anxiolytic-like effects; (b) prenatal MA exposure does not sensitize animals to the anxiety-related effects of any of the drugs.
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